Folder type mobile terminal

ABSTRACT

A folder type mobile terminal which prevents damage to a display, such as a liquid crystal display (LCD), mounted in the folder due to an external impact is provided. An impact dispersing device incorporated into the upper and lower covers of the folder portion of the mobile terminal causes a load applied to the upper cover due to an external impact, such as that which is applied when the mobile terminal is dropped, to be dispersed to the lower cover. In this manner, the force of the impact is drawn away from the upper cover, adequate clearance is maintained between the upper cover and the display, and damage to the display is minimized.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention

[0002] The invention relates to a mobile terminal, and moreparticularly, to a folder type mobile terminal.

[0003] 2. Background of the Related Art

[0004] Folder type mobile terminals have become very widely used due toa number of advantages associated with them. One such advantage is thata folder type mobile terminal can accommodate a large display, such as aliquid crystal display (LCD), making it easier to view informationdisplayed to a user via the display. For example, newly developed dualLCD folder type mobile terminals which have an LCD mounted not only onan inner side of the folder, but also on an outer side thereof arebecoming increasingly popular.

[0005] The conventional art folder type mobile terminal such as thatshown in FIG. 1 has a body 8 in which a variety of electric equipment ismounted, a menu button 2 and a number of dial buttons 4 on a frontsurface thereof, and a battery 6 at a rear surface thereof. A folderportion 10 is rotatably connected to the body 8, and is provided with anLCD which is attached to both an inner side and an outer side thereof.

[0006]FIG. 2 is a disassembled perspective view of a mobile terminal inaccordance with the conventional art, while FIG. 3 is a sectional viewof a folder engagement mechanism of a mobile terminal in accordance withthe conventional art. The folder portion 10 of the conventional mobileterminal includes an upper cover 102 which forms an outer surface of theterminal, and a lower cover 104 which engages with the upper cover 102and which is rotatably connected to a body (not shown) of the mobileterminal. A printed circuit board 106 which has a sub LCD 108 mounted ona front surface thereof, a main LCD (not shown) mounted on a rearsurface thereof, and a receiver 110 mounted at one side thereof, ismounted between the upper cover 102 and the lower cover 104.

[0007] A transparent sub window 120 is provided in the upper cover 102to allow a user to view information displayed on the sub LCD 108, and atransparent main window 112 is mounted in the lower cover 104 to allow auser to view information displayed on the main LCD. A mounting panel 114for mounting the printed circuit board 106 is located at an inner sideof the lower cover 104.

[0008] The upper cover 102 and the lower cover 104 are typicallyattached with a bolt. A guide protrusion 128 is formed at an edge of alower surface of the upper cover 102 and is inserted into a guide groove122 formed at an edge of an upper surface of the lower cover 104 inorder to align the upper cover 102 and the lower cover 104. An uppercontact portion 124 is formed on a side surface of the guide protrusion120, and a lower contact portion 126 is formed on a side surface of theguide groove 122 so as to make contact when the upper cover 102 and thelower cover 104 are assembled.

[0009] Assembly of the foldable type mobile terminal according to theconventional art will now be described. First, the mounting panel 114 ismounted onto an inner surface of the lower cover 104. Next, the printedcircuit board 106 with the LCD 108 mounted thereon is mounted on aninner side of the mounting panel 114. The upper cover 102 is thenconnected to an upper surface of the lower cover 104, thereby completingthe assembly of the conventional art foldable type mobile terminal.

[0010] When assembled, the guide protrusion 128 is inserted into theguide groove 122 so as to properly align the upper cover 102 and thelower cover 104. If the guide protrusion 128 is properly fitted in theguide groove 122, and the upper cover 102 and the lower cover 104 areproperly aligned, then the upper contact portion 124 and the lowercontact portion 126 will make mutual contact, thereby supporting anengaged state of the upper cover 102 and the lower cover 104.

[0011] However, if an external impact is applied to the upper cover 102in the direction of arrow F in FIG. 3, a concentrated load is applied tothe upper contact portion 124 and the lower contact portion 126. Becausethe contact area which supports the engaged state of the upper cover 102and the lower cover 104 is small, it is easily deformed by this type ofexternal impact. In this case, the upper cover 102 can be deformed andcome in physical contact with the LCD 108, thereby damaging the LCD 108.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0012] An object of the invention is to solve at least the aboveproblems and/or disadvantages and to provide at least the advantagesdescribed hereinafter.

[0013] To achieve these and other advantages, in whole or in part, andin accordance with the purpose of the invention, as embodied and broadlydescribed herein, there is a folder type mobile terminal in accordancewith an embodiment of the invention comprising a folder portion,comprising an upper cover and a lower cover, wherein the upper cover andthe lower cover are configured to be attached so as to form a spacetherebetween, a display mounted in the space formed between the upperand lower covers, and an impact dispersing mechanism formed at edges ofthe upper and lower covers and configured to disperse to the lower coveran impact applied to the upper cover.

[0014] To further achieve these and other advantages, in whole or inpart, and in accordance with the purpose of the invention, as embodiedand broadly described herein, there is a folder type mobile terminal inaccordance with an embodiment of the invention comprising a first coverconfigured to be attached to a second cover so as to form a spacetherebetween, a display installed in the space formed between the firstand second covers, and an impact dispersing device formed on the firstand second covers and configured to transfer to the second cover a forceapplied at the first cover.

[0015] To further achieve these and other advantages, in whole or inpart, and in accordance with the purpose of the invention, as embodiedand broadly described herein, there is an impact dispersing device for amobile terminal in accordance with an embodiment of the inventioncomprising a first rib formed at an edge of a first housing, a secondrib formed at an edge of a second housing, wherein the second housing isconfigured to be attached to the first housing to form a spacetherebetween, a display mounted in the space formed between the firsthousing and the second housing, a first gap of substantially constantheight formed between a surface of the first rib and a surface of thesecond rib, and a second gap of substantially constant height formedbetween an upper surface of the display and a lower surface of the firsthousing, wherein the height of the second gap is greater than the heightof the first gap when the first housing is attached to the secondhousing.

[0016] Additional advantages, objects, and features of the inventionwill be set forth in part in the description which follows and in partwill become apparent to those having ordinary skill in the art uponexamination of the following or may be learned from practice of theinvention. The objects and advantages of the invention may be realizedand attained as particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] The invention will be described in detail with reference to thefollowing drawings in which like reference numerals refer to likeelements wherein:

[0018]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a conventional art foldable typemobile terminal;

[0019]FIG. 2 is a disassembled perspective view of a conventional artmobile terminal;

[0020]FIG. 3 is a sectional view of a conventional art foldable typemobile terminal in a folded state;

[0021]FIG. 4 is a schematic disassembled perspective view of a mobileterminal according to an embodiment of the invention;

[0022]FIG. 5 is a schematic sectional view of a foldable type mobileterminal in a folded state according to an embodiment of the invention;

[0023]FIG. 6 is an enlarged view of ‘A’ of FIG. 5; and

[0024]FIG. 7 is a schematic sectional view of a foldable type mobileterminal in a folded state to which an impact has been applied accordingto an embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0025] As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, a folder portion of a mobile terminalaccording to an embodiment of the invention includes an upper cover 20which forms an outer surface of the terminal, and a lower cover 22 whichis attached to the upper cover 20 and which is configured to berotatably coupled to a main body of the mobile terminal (not shown). Aprinted circuit board 24 which has a sub display 28, such as a sub LCD,at a front surface thereof, a main display (not shown), such as a LCD,at a rear surface thereof, and a receiver 30 configured to generatesound at one side thereof is mounted between the upper cover 20 and thelower cover 22. A mounting panel 26 is attached to an inner side of thelower cover 22 to accommodate the printed circuit board 24. Atransparent sub window 32 through which a user can view informationdisplayed on the sub display 28 is mounted in the upper cover 20. Atransparent main window 34 through which a user can view informationdisplayed on the main display is mounted in the lower cover 22.

[0026] A guide protrusion 50 is formed at an edge of a lower surface ofthe upper cover 20, and a guide groove 52 is formed at an edge of anupper surface of the lower cover 22. The guide protrusion 50 and guidegroove 52 serve to properly align the upper cover 20 and the lower cover22 when they are assembled. The guide protrusion 50 extends in alongitudinal direction from both edges of the upper cover 20. Likewise,the guide groove 52 is formed with a constant depth and extends in alongitudinal direction from both edges of the lower cover 22. If theguide protrusion 50 is properly inserted into the guide groove 52 whenthe upper cover 20 and the lower cover 22 are assembled, a properassembly position of the upper cover 20 and the lower cover 22 isachieved.

[0027] A support area is formed at an edge of a lower surface of theupper cover 20 and at an edge of an upper surface of the lower cover 22.This support area comprises a first supporting portion 58 formed at anouter side of the guide protrusion 50, and a second supporting portion60 formed at an outer side of the guide groove 52 and configured tocontact the first supporting portion 58. If the upper cover 20 and thelower cover 22 are assembled, the first supporting portion 58 comes intocontact with the second supporting portion 60, thereby maintaining theassembled state between the upper cover 20 and the lower cover 22.

[0028] An impact dispersing mechanism prevents the display 28 from beingdamaged when a force F is applied to the upper cover 20. The impactdispersing mechanism disperses the force to the lower cover 22 andmaintains an adequate clearance between the upper cover and the display.The impact dispersing mechanism is formed at an edge of a lower surfaceof the upper cover 20 and at an edge of an upper surface of the lowercover 22, and as shown in FIG. 6, comprises a first rib 62 having aconstant cross section which protrudes from an edge of a lower surfaceof the upper cover 20, and a second rib 64 having a constant crosssection which protrudes from an edge of an upper surface of the lowercover 22 and faces the first rib 62. The first rib 62 is formed at aninner side of the guide protrusion 50 with a length shorter than that ofthe guide protrusion 50. The second rib 64 is formed at an inner side ofthe guide groove 60 with a constant length and faces the first rib 62.Surfaces of the first rib 62 and the second rib 64 form a constant gap Twhen the upper cover 20 and the lower cover 22 are assembled, as shownin FIG. 6. The gap T is preferably narrower than a gap Q between theupper cover 20 and the display 28, as shown in FIG. 6.

[0029] Assembly of the folder type mobile terminal according toembodiments of the invention will now be described. First, the mountingpanel 26 is mounted on the lower cover 22, and the printed circuit board24, to which the display 28 is attached, is mounted in the mountingpanel 26. Next, the upper cover 20 is positioned above the printedcircuit board 24, and the upper cover 20 and the lower cover 22 aresecured to each other, thereby completing the assembly process. At thistime, the guide protrusion 50 of the upper cover 20 is inserted into theguide groove 52 of the lower cover 22, thereby aligning an assemblyposition between the upper cover 20 and the lower cover 22.

[0030] When assembled in this manner, if an impact is applied to theupper cover 20 as shown by arrow F in FIG. 7, an intensive load isapplied at areas of contact between the upper cover 20 and the lowercover 22. This causes the opposing surfaces of the first rib 62 and thesecond rib 64 to come into contact with each other, and thus the impactapplied to the upper cover 20 is dispersed into the lower cover 22through the first rib 62 and the second rib 64, thereby minimizingdamage to the display 28. More particularly, if an impact such as forcea F is applied to the upper cover 20, an intensive load is generated atthe first rib 62, which is in contact with the second rib 64. Thus, theimpact applied to the upper cover 20 is dispersed into the lower cover22, thereby preventing damage to the display 28.

[0031] Additionally, as stated earlier, the distance T between the firstrib 62 and the second rib 64 is preferably less than the distance Qbetween the upper cover 20 and the display 28. Therefore, when a force Fis applied to the upper cover 20 and the upper cover 20 is forced in adirection toward the lower cover 22, the positioning of the first rib 62and the second rib 64 limits movement of the upper cover to a distancenot greater than T. Thus, an adequate gap of not less than Q-T ismaintained between the upper cover 20 and the display 28, preventingdamage to the display 28.

[0032] The folder type mobile terminal according to embodiments of theinvention is capable of preventing a display, such as a LCD, mounted ina folder from being damaged when an external impact is applied to anupper cover of the mobile terminal. That is, the impact is dispersed toa lower case by an impact dispersing mechanism installed between theupper cover and the lower cover.

[0033] The foregoing embodiments and advantages are merely exemplary andare not to be construed as limiting the invention. The present teachingcan be readily applied to other types of apparatuses. The description ofthe invention is intended to be illustrative, and not to limit the scopeof the claims. Many alternatives, modifications, and variations will beapparent to those skilled in the art. In the claims, means-plus-functionclauses are intended to cover the structures described herein asperforming the recited function and not only structural equivalents butalso equivalent structures.

What is claimed is:
 1. A folder type mobile terminal, comprising: afolder portion, comprising an upper cover and a lower cover, wherein theupper cover and the lower cover are configured to be attached so as toform a space therebetween; a display mounted in the space formed betweenthe upper and lower covers; and an impact dispersing mechanism formed atedges of the upper and lower covers and configured to disperse to thelower cover an impact applied to the upper cover.
 2. The mobile terminalof claim 1, wherein the display is mounted on a printed circuit board,and wherein the printed circuit board is configured to be mounted in thespace formed between the upper and lower covers.
 3. The mobile terminalof claim 1, wherein the impact dispersing mechanism comprises: a firstrib formed to protrude a constant width at an edge of the upper cover;and a second rib facing the first rib and formed to protrude a constantwidth at an edge of the lower cover.
 4. The mobile terminal of claim 3,further comprising a guide protrusion formed at both edges of the uppercover, and a guide groove formed at both edges of the lower cover,wherein the guide protrusion and the guide groove are configured toproperly align the upper and lower covers when assembled.
 5. The mobileterminal of claim 4, wherein the first rib has a constantcross-sectional area at an inner side of the guide protrusion, and thesecond rib has a constant cross-sectional area at an inner side of theguide groove.
 6. The mobile terminal of claim 3, wherein the first ribis formed at both edges of the upper cover and the second rib is formedat both edges of the lower cover.
 7. The mobile terminal of claim 3,wherein the first rib and the second rib have a constant gaptherebetween.
 8. The mobile terminal of claim 7, wherein the gap formedbetween the first rib and the second rib is narrower than a gap formedbetween the upper cover and the display.
 9. A folder type mobileterminal, comprising: a first cover configured to be attached to asecond cover so as to form a space therebetween; a display installed inthe space formed between the first and second covers; and an impactdispersing device formed on the first and second covers and configuredto transfer to the second cover a force applied at the first cover. 10.The mobile terminal of claim 9, wherein the display is mounted on aprinted circuit board, and wherein the printed circuit board isconfigured to be installed in the space formed between the first andsecond covers.
 11. The mobile terminal of claim 9, wherein the impactdispersing device comprises: a first rib formed at an edge of the firstcover; and a second rib facing the first rib and formed at an edge ofthe second cover.
 12. The mobile terminal of claim 11, furthercomprising a guide protrusion formed at an edge of the first cover, anda guide groove configured to correspond to the guide protrusion formedat an edge of the second cover.
 13. The mobile terminal of claim 11,wherein a first gap of substantially constant height is formed betweenthe first rib and the second rib when the first cover and the secondcover are attached, and wherein a second gap of substantially constantheight is formed between an upper surface of the display and a lowersurface of the first cover when the first cover and the second cover areattached.
 14. The mobile terminal of claim 13, wherein a height of thesecond gap is larger than a height of the first gap.
 15. The mobileterminal of claim 14, wherein the height of the first gap is reducedwhen an external force is applied to the first cover.
 16. The mobileterminal of claim 15, wherein the height of the first gap is reduced tosubstantially zero when a lower surface of the first rib contacts anupper surface of the second rib due to an external force applied to thefirst cover, and wherein a height of the second gap remains greater thanthe height of the first gap.
 17. The mobile terminal of claim 11,wherein the first rib is formed at opposite side edges of the firstcover, and wherein the second rib is formed at opposite side edges ofthe second cover.
 18. An impact dispersing device for a mobile terminal,comprising: a first rib formed at an edge of a first housing; a secondrib formed at an edge of a second housing, wherein the second housing isconfigured to be attached to the first housing to form a spacetherebetween; a display mounted in the space formed between the firsthousing and the second housing; a first gap of substantially constantheight formed between a surface of the first rib and a surface of thesecond rib; and a second gap of substantially constant height formedbetween an upper surface of the display and a lower surface of the firsthousing, wherein the height of the second gap is greater than the heightof the first gap when the first housing is attached to the secondhousing.
 19. The mobile terminal of claim 18, wherein the displaycomprises a liquid crystal display (LCD).
 20. The impact dispersingdevice of claim 18, wherein the height of the second gap remains greaterthan the height of the first gap when an external force is applied tothe first housing.
 21. The impact dispersing device of claim 18, furthercomprising a guide protrusion formed at an edge of the first housing,and a guide groove configured to correspond to the guide protrusion andformed at an edge of the second housing, wherein the guide groove isfurther configured to engage the guide protrusion when the first housingand the second housing are attached so as to properly align the firsthousing and the second housing.
 22. The impact dispersing device ofclaim 21, wherein the first rib has a constant cross sectional area at asection which is proximate to an inner side of the guide protrusion, andwherein the second rib has a constant cross section area at a sectionwhich is proximate to an inner side of the guide groove.
 23. A foldertype mobile terminal comprising the impact dispersing device of claim18.